Grinding
Grinding is a precision finishing process for improving the surface finish, size, and shape of the part with very tight tolerances. Often required in medical and food processing to reduce the possibility of areas for microbes or bacteria to grow, it completes parts in fluid applications such as nozzles, injectors, or fittings ensuring smooth flow of the liquid or gas.
A typical range of Average Surface Roughness (Ra) of 8-16 µ (micron) inches can be achieved through a grinding process. To see the surface difference in this roughness range you would need a microscope; however, your sense of touch of a part with this finish feels very smooth. Dimensionally grinding provides control of dimensions of +/- 0.0001 inches, and the geometric shape of the part concentricity, runout, or cylindricity within 0.0002 inches. This is finer in size than the diameter of human hair. These tight tolerances are typically specified for precision assembly of parts or precision control of flow through a nozzle.
MacFab’s finishing capability includes two different methods:
- Surface grinding for precision flat plats
- Inner Diameter (ID) honing, on the ID of a hole completed in Sunnen honing machines.